PM Narendra Modi likely to visit Maldives for I-Day event on July 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to the Maldives in July-end, in what would be his first visit to the island nation since President Mohamed Muizzu took over in November 2023.

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The visit will follow a strong reiteration of Muizzu's 2024 invitation to PM Modi by Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Khaleel, who visited India recently.

PM Modi may visit the key Indian Ocean country on July 26 to mark its Independence Day.

Khaleel’s visit to India had earlier signalled the Maldives’ intention to strengthen ties with India at a time when its relations with China have become a matter of concern.

Also on the anvil is External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meeting on July 13.

This would be the first time an Indian foreign minister would visit China after the 2020 Galwan clash and the first time he will be at the same meeting as Pakistani counterpart since Operation Sindoor. A bilateral with Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister, is likely.

Last month, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were in China for SCO meetings. Rajnath had refused to sign a joint statement after it omitted a reference to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.